If anyone knows me, you will know how much I adore Romare- he is for sure up there as one of my favourite artists, ever. After seeing him live twice, I have only grown to admire, and respect him more and more.

The first time I saw him live was actually my introduction to him; Blessing (a fellow Stereofox writer) told me to trust her and dragged me along to his show in London, where he played alongside Clap!Clap!. I was completely taken aback by the ingenuity and flawless montage of sampling in his set, and so began the one-sided love affair.

The second time was in Berlin where he was promoting his latest album "Love Songs: Part Two". Seeing as it is such a thoughtful and intricate album, I was curious as to how he would convert this to a live setting. Expectations were not only met, but completely exceeded as he not only translated, but reworked the album to create a completely different, electrifying atmosphere, yet still a completely immersive experience in itself; a true mark of artistry. The set was so impressive, I ended up taking off my shoes and dancing in my socks for the entirety of the show.

Back to the point of the post, Romare returns to Ninja Tune to release an EP with a collection of live sessions of his tracks which are stripped-back, alternative arrangements of select tracks off the album, which he recorded in his home studio, and on the road throughout this year. Archie comments that “the songs were recorded in the same spirit as they are performed on stage”. Releasing these reconstructed versions of the tracks not only captures the essence, but also documents the artist's year of live sets.

The track I am showcasing today is the live session of "All Night", and he has also released a live version of "Come Close To Me". The EP is due to be released on November the 10th.

Romare is playing in Berlin again on December 1st at Gretchen, so be sure to be there if you're Berlin-based, you won't regret it!

posted by Jemma
November 2017